Dr. Robert J. Buckla, an institutional advancement executive with more than 25 years of education experience, has been named vice president of university advancement at Stritch. He will start Sept. 1.

Since 2009, Buckla has been the senior director of college programs/major and leadership gifts at Illinois Institute of Technology, where he was part of a leadership team that raised more than $104 million in operating, capital and endowment support as part of a $250 million campaign. He served in the vice president/chief advancement officer role at two other points in his career: Averett University in Virginia and Hyde Schools on the East Coast.

Buckla is responsible for providing leadership and initiative in the planning, implementation, and administration of Stritch’s fundraising, alumni relations, special events and philanthropic efforts.

To underscore Stritch’s longstanding commitment to interfaith dialogue, the Kendall Lecture Series will feature interfaith activist and author Dr. Eboo Patel on Thursday, Nov. 1. The free keynote event, “Hanging by a Thread: The Urgency for Interfaith Cooperation,” will take place from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Sister Camille Kliebhan Conference Center, Bonaventure Hall, and will include a Q&A session followed by a dessert reception and book signing. Registration is required, as seating is limited. Learn more and register here.Patel also will be featured on Nov. 2 as part of the Forums on Faith and Work series sponsored by the Saint Clare Center for Catholic Life, which focuses on the interplay of faith and work. The event will be held from 7:15-9 a.m. at the Milwaukee Athletic Club, 758 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Details on that event are available here.

Myers becomes new board chairman

Thomas A. Myers, a lawyer with Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. who has served as vice chairman of Stritch’s Board of Trustees for a year and as a member at large since 2005, became board chairman on Aug. 1.

In this role, Myers guides the board and serves an ex-officio member of its seven subcommittees. He succeeds David Hawke, a retired executive vice president of the Brady Corporation who has been a trustee since 2001.“Tom has been instrumental in helping our board maximize its effectiveness, and his leadership and dedication to Stritch’s mission has been inspiring,” said Stritch President Dr. James Loftus. “I also want to offer my deepest gratitude to Dave Hawke for his strong and consistent leadership through a time of transition at Stritch, and for serving as a valued advisor to me and the board. I’m pleased that he will remain on the board to provide important perspective and ensure continuity.” Read more.

Stritch to stage production of powerful play “Irena’s Vow”

As part of the celebration of Stritch's 75th anniversary, the theater department will produce the inspiring play “Irena’s Vow,” about a strong-willed nurse who helped Jews escape the devastation of the Holocaust, from Oct. 26 through Nov. 4.“Irena’s Vow” is based on the life of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic who, after the outbreak of World War II, was conscripted as a housekeeper in the home of a powerful Nazi officer. Without his knowledge, Irena shelters 12 Jewish workers in the basement for two years, using her wit, humor and courage to conceal them amid countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child, until the end of the German occupation.The play will be staged in collaboration with Renaissance Theaterworks, one of the top professional theater companies in Milwaukee. Production dates and times are Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 2-3 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. All performances are in the Nancy Kendall Theater, located in the Joan Steele Stein Center for Communication Studies and Fine Arts. It is highly recommended that reservations be made in advance by calling the Fine Arts Box Office at (414) 410-4171.

Details on the remainder of the 2012-13 theater season, including full descriptions, dates and times, are available here.

Annual Fund News

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our students!

The Office of University Advancement would like to thank our generous alumni and community donors who contributed to the Stritch Annual Fund during the 2011-12 fiscal year, which came to a close on July 31. Money raised insures the continued excellence for programs, facilities, and most importantly, the educational experience of Stritch students.

As Cardinal Stritch University celebrates its “Diamond Jubilee” year of educational excellence, our class of 1950 can also claim that “diamond” status! Not only were we the first class to graduate with four full years in the renamed Cardinal Stritch College, we have reunited every single year since.All our reunions (sixty-two and still counting), vibrate with great conversation and lively discussions. The years melt away and our closely connected small group is one again. Though each of us has a unique personality, we mesh!Eileen (Hayes) Conklin Miller, ’50 and husband, Bob, graciously invited us to spend a “Fun Day in the Sun” at their now-permanent residence in Elkhart Lake on July 25. The gathering was even more memorable with Sister Camille Kliebhan OSF, Chancellor, honoring us with her presence.Read more.

Faculty/Staff News

Sister Gabrielle Kowalski, professor of special education, made a presentation on providing spiritual supports to persons with intellectual disabilities at the congress of the International Association on the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 14. The Congress had approximately 800 delegates from around the world in attendance, with more than 250 concurrent symposia featuring approximately 700 speakers across 12 tracks. Sr. Gabrielle also spoke in Chicago at the meeting of the National Association of Qualified Developmental Disabilities Professions on Aug. 9.

For more recent achievements of Stritch faculty and staff, click here.

Athletic News

Follow your favorite Stritch teams

There are several ways to follow all Wolves teams. You can visit the official athletic website at www.stritchwolves.com, follow them through Twitter at www.twitter.com/stritchwolves, sign up for SMS alerts, and sign up for news releases.You also have the ability to select any sport you’d like to receive news on as you’ll get up-to-date scores and the latest news on your favorite teams.

The Alumni Board recently completed its annual welcome calls to all incoming freshmen students. In addition to the welcome calls, the Alumni Association is proud to partner with the Office of Student Development in sponsoring some fun events for new student orientation week:Wednesday, Aug. 22: Family Member Blessing and Tree Planting The Alumni Association is sponsoring the planting of a tree in Heritage Park for the new freshmen class – a new tradition! Students will have the opportunity to take pictures in front of the tree with their family after a final blessing of the new class.Saturday, Aug. 25: Cook-out Extravaganza & Water Balloon ChallengeJoin us at 1:30 p.m. for the first-ever Alumni vs. Student water balloon challenge! If you are interested in joining the alumni team, email us at alumni@stritch.edu. Don’t miss what is sure to be a fun and wet afternoon!Saturday, Aug. 25: Trolley Tours of Milwaukee (2:30-5 p.m.)The Alumni Association will be sponsoring tours of Milwaukee for all new students aboard an old fashioned trolley car! We are still in need of energetic alumni who are Milwaukee experts to serve as our trolley tour guides. If you are available to help, email the alumni office at alumni@stritch.edu.Monday, Aug. 27: Welcome Back Ice Cream Stritch alumni will be serving ice cream in the student union from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. to all students in celebration of the first day of class. We will also be serving ice cream for our evening student program from 7-8 p.m. We are still in need of ice cream servers – email the alumni office at alumni@stritch.edu if you are interested in volunteering for either the noon or evening shift.

Thank you for helping support St. Ben's!

As part of the University’s 75th anniversary celebration, Stritch partnered with St. Ben’s for their Run/Walk for the hungry, which took place July 26 as part of German Fest. The event was a huge success with more than 2,700 registered participants. Stritch had one of the largest teams for the run/walk, with more than 40 members consisting of faculty, staff, students, alumni and their family and friends.

If you participated in the event, as part of our “Stritch Serves” volunteer initiative you can enter the hours you spent participating here.

2012 Stritch Magazines include highlights of 75th anniversary

Watch for your copy of the summer issue of Stritch Magazine to arrive within the next week or two.

This edition not only features the usual stories of the University’s alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends, but also is the second of three 2012 issues honoring Stritch’s 75-year history in 25-year segments.Highlights include:

- A photo-rich timeline from the second 25 years of Stritch’s history, 1962-1987

- The second in a three-part story on the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi and how they laid the foundation for Stritch to become the largest Franciscan university in the country

- Profiles of a writing major who is the first in his family to attend college; two married school superintendents who live hours apart; and two M.B.A. alumni who started a coffee business that supports missionaries- On the cover: a trend piece on the growing issue of bullying, featuring Stritch experts on the subjectLet us know what you think – contact us with comments or future story ideas.

Shape your personal legacy through planned giving

Have you considered how you will be remembered when you’re gone? What will family, friends, loved ones and colleagues think of when they look back on their time with you? To learn more about how to take control of your personal legacy, join Catholic Financial Life and estate planning attorney Mark Rogers for an informational seminar on charitable giving:

The fifth annual Stritch Showcase, a fundraising event to honor, support and celebrate Cardinal Stritch University’s 75th anniversary, will take place Tuesday, Oct. 9, with event chairs Anita and Al Costigan and Martha and Mark Flaherty welcoming community members and friends of the University.

The event, which will include a reception, silent auction, dinner and program, will be held in the Sister Camille Kliebhan Conference Center, Bonaventure Hall. Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, will be honored with the University’s Community Builder Award for his significant and ongoing work in support of education in Milwaukee.

For more information on attending or supporting the Stritch Showcase, click here.

Reminder to log July volunteer hours

Alumni are reminded to log their volunteer hours for the month of July as part of the Stritch Serves volunteer initiative. To date, more than 5,000 hours have been recorded, meaning the University is on pace to exceed its goal 7,500 volunteer hours served in this 75th Anniversary year, translating to a total contribution of $150,000 worth of service to our communities.To log your volunteer hours, click here. To see a list of volunteer opportunities in Milwaukee and Madison, click here. If you would like share your volunteer story, email sdc@stritch.edu for consideration.

Regional Alumni News

Upcoming 75th anniversary event in Madison

Staff at Stritch's Madison site invite alumni to an event being held on Friday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. as part of the University's 75th anniversary celebration.

Join adjunct instructor Owen Phelps as he discusses "S3 Leadership: The Catholic Vision for Leading like Jesus." S3 stands for servant, steward and shepherd. He will discuss how people become better leaders at work, at home and in the network of communities in which they live.

“My purpose is to serve others” is the life motto Stritch alumnus Jimmy Casas, ’04, lives by. Serving as an educator for more than 20 years, Casas is the principal of Bettendorf High School in Iowa and earned recognition as Iowa’s Secondary Principal of the Year in the spring. He is now one of three finalists for the 2013 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of the Year award, to be announced later this fall.As he celebrates this recent honor, Casas reflects on the unusual journey his life took to bring him to the field of education.“Everybody has a story,” Casas said. “This is what I love most about the work we do in the education field – getting to learn the stories of our students and our teaching staff.”Read more.

Alumni Class Notes

Kim Michalowski, M.S. Management, '04, retired from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in June after 28 years of service. Michalowski was appointed the director of the Bureau of Claims for the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs in July.Michael Mulry, M.B.A., '11, is vice president of Business Development for Axle Digital in New York.Lori Schambureck's, B.F.A. Art, '91, company (Tour Milwaukee, LLC) was named "Best Walking Tour" in Milwaukee for 2012 by A-list on wisn.com.